US Tourism In A Slump

Traveling is a gift that only a few can afford. First of all, you need money – lots of it. It is pretty obvious and self-explanatory. How can you afford plane tickets, hotel accommodations and still have enough money left with you to explore the various attractions if you aren’t rich enough? It is also the main reason why many stay and die in their hometowns and not get to travel anywhere at all. So if you get to travel, then you should be thankful to get to see other places in the world others don’t get to see in their lifetime.

In spite of the rising costs of air travel and the challenges of securing a tourist visa, many people flock to the US. It’s not surprising at all considering how popular this western country is and the long list of attractions to explore. There is definitely something amazing that will capture your attention no matter what your interests are. Your destinations aren’t just limited to theme parks but there’s a whole lot more to see and visit. And who knows, maybe you’d bump into a popular celebrity in your travels.

America’s market share of international leisure tourism declined an average of 11% between October 2016 and March 2017, reports Foursquare, the location technology company known for its check-in app.

The decline began in October when market share fell by 6% and reached its low point in March, falling 16%. Foursquare said that there is currently no sign of recovery.

Foursquare’s data indicates that residents of the Middle East and Latin America are avoiding the U.S. more than residents of Asia, Europe and elsewhere.

Its numbers also indicate that visits to the rest to the rest of world are up, making the U.S. an anomaly.

Foursquare said more than 13 million smartphone users have opted into its global research panel and share “always on” location trails that it uses to detect when these phones travel and when they walk in or out of 93 million public places around the world.

Foursquare data measure the number of stops made at leisure venues by people that are visiting from abroad, such as casinos, department stores, malls, monuments/landmarks, museums, night clubs, restaurants and theme parks.

The numbers don’t lie. Fewer tourists head to America for leisure nowadays. Why is that so?

Is an unwelcoming political climate really creating a “Trump Slump” in the annual $250 billion business and leisure travel industry in the United States?

“Yes,” “No,” and “Maybe So,” say travel industry experts and number crunchers who point to a variety of hard and soft data points to measure the travel impact of initiatives such as President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose a travel ban barring inbound travelers from some predominantly Muslim countries and the recent ban on electronic devices in the airline cabins of U.S.-bound airplanes from certain countries.

The drop in foreign tourists can be felt across all US states and many actually got creative and called it the Trump Slump alongside other popular terms like Trumponomics and Trump era coined in the wake of Trump’s presidency. and Despite winning the presidential race, we can’t deny the fact that Trump still isn’t popular with many of his citizens and even from people of foreign nations. And his controversial policies involving travel bans and the crackdown on illegal immigrants weren’t helping his image at all.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich called on the Trump administration to take concrete steps to address the reported decline in tourism to the United States as a result of President Trump’s hostile rhetoric and harmful travel policies, which have created the perception that the United States is not a welcoming place for foreign visitors.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Udall and Heinrich said that this “Trump effect” threatens to hurt the economy of the United States and of New Mexico, where tourists spend more than $6 billion annually and help sustain more than 90,000 jobs. Udall and Heinrich also noted that the “Trump effect” risks damaging the United States’ leadership in science and innovation, as foreign scientists are reportedly considering skipping crucial science and technical conferences in the United States. As the senators wrote, President Trump has proposed eliminating Brand USA, which promotes the United States as a travel destination around the world.

It is only half a year into Trump’s administration but things aren’t looking pretty good for the US with him in command. His flamboyant and kind of arrogant behavior isn’t earning him points with his constituents. And worse, it is a major turn off for potential foreign tourists who want to explore and discover what a rich and diverse nation like America has to offer. Add to that the various bans he imposes when it comes to travel making visits to the land of Uncle Sam too stressful and cumbersome for many foreign travelers.

Unfortunately, this current Trump Slump not only hurts the country’s image but even the nation’s economy as well, especially the business owners who rely on tourism to make money for a living. More Americans will hate Trump if he doesn’t take measures to address this tourism slump that is growing worse by the minute.